Electrical pin with tab receptacles and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A stamped and formed pin is provided with tiered receptacles at an inner end of the pin which are also stamped and formed. A tab or split ring is provided at the free end of the receptacle having an insertion axis parallel with the seam of the pin to stabilize the receptacles and maintain them in a rigid position as well as keeping the pin in a resilient condition.

United States Patent [151 3,636,505 Poltonavage 51 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] ELECTRICAL PIN WITH TAB 2,1 5/1922 Kobz ..339/256 SP 3,09 6/19 Shannon ..339/256 SP RECEPTACLES AND METHOD OF 3,139,318 6/1964 Binder et al. ..339/258 5 MAKING SAME [72] Inventor: Edward Michael Poltonavage, Palmyra,

[73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

[22] Filed: Mar. 11, 1970 [21] App]v No.: 18,436

[52] US. Cl ..339/256 SP [51] Int. Cl ..HOlr 13/12 [58] Field ofSearch ..339/19, 31-33, 339/256, 258

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,021,503 2/1962 Hopkins et al ..339/213 Primary Examiner-Joseph H. McGlynn Attorney-Curtis, Morris and Safford, William J. Keating, Ronald D. Grefe, William Hintze, Adrian J. La Rue, Frederick W. Raring, Jay L. Seitchik and John P. Vandenburg [57] ABSTRACT A stamped and formed pin is provided with tiered receptacles at an inner end of the pin which are also stamped and formed. A tab or split ring is provided at the free end of the receptacle having an insertion axis parallel with the seam of the pin to stabilize the receptacles and maintain them in a rigid position as well as keeping the pin in a resilient condition.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ELECTRICAL PIN WITH TAB RECEPTACLES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME This invention relates to electrical pins and more particularly to stamped and formed electrical pins having dual or tiered stamped and formed receptacles.

Heretofore, electrical pins with receptacles have had the pins formed as solid pins with the receptacles being separate pieces that are welded to opposite sides at the inner end of the pin. Such pin and receptacles combination is difficult to manufacture and hold proper tolerances thereon in addition to being uneconomical to manufacture. The welding of the receptacles to the pin would invariably introduce wide tolerance variation to the receptacles.

An object of the invention is to provide a stamped and formed pin having stamped and formed tiered receptacles at an inner end of the pin.

Another object is the provision of a pin having tiered receptacles that are stamped and formed with a minimum of tolerance variation.

A further object is to provide means at a free end of one of the stamped and fonned receptacles which is captured inside the stamped and formed pin to stabilize and maintain the receptacles in a rigid condition and to keep the pin in a resilient condition.

An additional object is the method of making a stamped and formed pin provided with tiered receptacles.

The above objects are attained by providing a one-piece stamped blank of three sections joined together wherein two sections are formed into tab receptacles and the third is partially formed into a hollow pin. One receptacle is bent over in a back-to-back relationship with the other receptacle which is in close proximity and attached to the rear of the cylindrical pin. A small tab or split ring on the bent-over receptacle is positioned within the rear end of the partially formed hollow pin which is then finally formed into a generally cylindrical pin thus locking the tab or split ring inside of the pin to stabilize the bent-over receptacle.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there are shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that these embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but are given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pin provided with tiered receptacles with tabs exploded therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pin and receptacles in a partly formed state;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view partly in section illustrating the tab at the free end of the free receptacle captured within the P FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the pin and receptacle combination is to be formed; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a modified embodiment of the free end of the free receptacle prior to being captured within the pin.

Turning now to the drawing and especially those of FIGS. 1-4, a blank B is illustrated in FIG. 4 which is connected via section 1 to a strip 2 having pilot holes 3 (only one being shown). Blank B, as it is illustrated in FIG. 4, has been formed by a progressive die in accordance with conventional diestamping techniques, and strip 2 and pilot holes 3 are then utilized to carry blank B and the successive blanks therealike through the remainder of the progressive die to form the blank v into the final configuration.

Blank B is provided with a series of substantially rectangular-shaped sections 4, 5 and 6 which are connected together via centrally disposed transition sections '7 and 8. A tab 9 extends outwardly from the center area of section 6. Arcuately shaped members 10 are located at the front end of section 4.

The first stage of the formation of the pin and receptacle combination is that section 4 is partly formed into a pin P while transition 7 has a radiused area formed therein. Sections 5 and 6 are formed into receptacles R1 and R2 having a floor 11 and radiused spring arms 12 which are bent back over the floor from which they extend with their free ends terminating slightly above the floor. The outer ends of spring arms 12, which are at the entrances to receptacles R1 and R2, are flared and they are provided with beveled edges 13 in order to facilitate insertion of tabs 14, which are crimped onto electrical conductors, into the receptacles. Tab 9 is formed, at this stage, into an L-shaped configuration with a radiused area 9a in the short leg thereof.

In the final formation of the pin and receptacle combination transition 8 is bent so as to be at right angles to the floor 11 of receptacle R1, and receptacle R2 is bent at a position normal to transition 8 and parallel to receptacle RI with part of the short leg and all of the long leg of L-shaped transition 9 disposed within the partly formed pin P, whereupon pin P is formed into its final configuration with tab 9 captured therein. Such an arrangement stabilizes the receptacles R1 and R2 and maintains them in a rigid position as tiered receptacles so that tabs 12, which can be solid tabs, can provide a plurality of connections to one pin connected with a complementary receptacle (not shown).

The capturing of tab 9 within pin P also maintains the resilient integrity of pin P so that pin P will always be a live pin, as indicated by the slightly open seam therein, to assure that it will fit properly within its receptacle and thereby accommodate a wide tolerance variation of its receptacle.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 illustrates a split ring 15 formed from a rectangular section at the free end of receptacle R2 which is captured within the outer end of pin P when it is formed into its final configuration. Ring 15 would, of course, enhance the resilient operation of pin P.

While receptacles R1 and R2 have been disclosed as having a configuration for receiving Ushaped or solid tabs therein and the radiused spring arms 12 will accommodate a range of thicknesses of these tabs, these receptacles can, of course, be formed into any desirable receptacle configuration to receive therein mateable male members.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

The invention is claimed in accordance with the following:

1. A stamped and formed electrical connector comprising a hollow pin having tiered receptacles at an inner end of said pin, a transition section connecting one of said receptacles to said inner end, another transition section connecting said receptacles together, and means extending from a free end of the other of said receptacles, said means being captured within said hollow pin to stabilize said receptacles and maintain said pin in a resilient condition.

2. A stamped and formed electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said receptacles are substantially parallel.

3. A stamped and fonned electrical connector according to claim I wherein said captured means comprises an L-shaped tab.

4. A stamped and formed electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said captured means comprises a split ring.

5. A method of making an electrical connector comprising the steps of blanking out from a sheet of metal a blank having first, second and third substantially rectangular sections con- 3 4 sections into receptacles, bending said second transition so formed into an L-shaped configuration prior to being posithat said receptacles are disposed parallel to each other and tioned within said partly formed hollow pin. Said member is Positioned Wnhln Said Partly formed hollow 7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said member is pin, and forming said partly formed hollow pin into a hollow pin and capturing said member therein to stabilize the receptacles and maintain the resilient integrity of said hollow pin.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said member is 5 formed into a split-ring configuration prior to being positioned within said partly formed hollow pin. 

1. A stamped and formed electRical connector comprising a hollow pin having tiered receptacles at an inner end of said pin, a transition section connecting one of said receptacles to said inner end, another transition section connecting said receptacles together, and means extending from a free end of the other of said receptacles, said means being captured within said hollow pin to stabilize said receptacles and maintain said pin in a resilient condition.
 2. A stamped and formed electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said receptacles are substantially parallel.
 3. A stamped and formed electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said captured means comprises an L-shaped tab.
 4. A stamped and formed electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said captured means comprises a split ring.
 5. A method of making an electrical connector comprising the steps of blanking out from a sheet of metal a blank having first, second and third substantially rectangular sections connected together by transition sections and a member extending outwardly from a free end of said third rectangular section, forming said first rectangular section into a partly formed hollow pin configuration and said second and third rectangular sections into receptacles, bending said second transition so that said receptacles are disposed parallel to each other and said member is positioned within said partly formed hollow pin, and forming said partly formed hollow pin into a hollow pin and capturing said member therein to stabilize the receptacles and maintain the resilient integrity of said hollow pin.
 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said member is formed into an L-shaped configuration prior to being positioned within said partly formed hollow pin.
 7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said member is formed into a split-ring configuration prior to being positioned within said partly formed hollow pin. 